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Techno-Economic Aspects of Noble Gases as Monitoring Tracers

Author

Listed:
  • Ulrich Wolfgang Weber

    (Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, 0371 Oslo, Norway)

  • Niko Kampman

    (Shell Global Solutions International B.V., 1031 Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Anja Sundal

    (Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, 0371 Oslo, Norway)

Abstract

A comprehensive monitoring program is an integral part of the safe operation of geological CO 2 storage projects. Noble gases can be used as geochemical tracers to detect a CO 2 anomaly and identify its origin, since they display unique signatures in the injected CO 2 and naturally occurring geological fluids and gases of the storage site complex. In this study, we assess and demonstrate the suitability of noble gases in source identification of CO 2 anomalies even when natural variability and analytical uncertainties are considered. Explicitly, injected CO 2 becomes distinguishable from shallow fluids (e.g., subsea gas seeps) due to its inheritance of the radiogenic signature (e.g., high He) of deep crustal fluids by equilibration with the formation water. This equilibration also results in the CO 2 inheriting a distinct Xe concentration and Xe/noble gas elemental ratios, which enable the CO 2 to be differentiated from deep crustal hydrocarbon gases that may be in the vicinity of a storage reservoir. However, the derivation has uncertainties that may make the latter distinction less reliable. These uncertainties would be best and most economically addressed by coinjection of Xe with a distinct isotope ratio into the CO 2 stream. However, such a tracer addition would add significant cost to monitoring programs of currently operating storage projects by up to 70% (i.e., from 1 $US/t to 1.7 $US/t).

Suggested Citation

  • Ulrich Wolfgang Weber & Niko Kampman & Anja Sundal, 2021. "Techno-Economic Aspects of Noble Gases as Monitoring Tracers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-17, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:12:p:3433-:d:572509
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Juan Alcalde & Stephanie Flude & Mark Wilkinson & Gareth Johnson & Katriona Edlmann & Clare E. Bond & Vivian Scott & Stuart M. V. Gilfillan & Xènia Ogaya & R. Stuart Haszeldine, 2018. "Estimating geological CO2 storage security to deliver on climate mitigation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Pasquale Marcello Falcone, 2020. "Environmental regulation and green investments: the role of green finance," International Journal of Green Economics, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 14(2), pages 159-173.
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